


Hey There Brother, Hey There Brother

by Ganseybee123



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bitty has a brother and stuff happens because of it, Brother Relationships, M/M, thats all really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-01-07 00:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18399881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ganseybee123/pseuds/Ganseybee123
Summary: Eric Richard Bittle the Third was born on May 5, 1995 and three years later on September 7, 1998 his little brother Connor Jackson Bittle entered their world. Even from a young age, Connor was everything their parents wanted of him; always running around, never crying when he fell down, and best of all, he carried a football around and never let go.orBitty has a brother and it really affects his life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric's relationship with his brother from birth to age 14.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I've been writing this fic for an exact year and it has been a huge ride! The whole thing is written though and I'll update every Thursday :) I hope you enjoy!

**1995-2009**

Eric Richard Bittle the Third was born on May 5, 1995 and three years later on September 7, 1998 his little brother Connor Jackson Bittle entered their world. Even from a young age, Connor was everything their parents wanted of him; always running around, never crying when he fell down, and best of all, he carried a football around and never let go.

Growing up, Eric and Connor were best friends. They were inseparable when they both started Pop Warner football together, and Connor was only a little confused when Eric decided to quit playing. 

“So you don’t want to play anymore? Why not?” The five year old asked his older brother. 

“It’s not fun for me,” Eric explained. “Flag football was okay, but being tackled is no fun. It’s scary!”

Connor nodded, “Oh, well that’s ok then.” He paused. “Will you still play with me in the backyard?” 

Eric clapped his hands, “Of course, Jackie! Playing with you was the only thing I liked about football!” 

That ended in them hugging and Connor trying to wrestle while Eric told him to be careful of the coffee table. Suzanne watched from the kitchen, thanking god that her boys got along. 

 

 

When Eric wanted to start figure skating, Connor was his biggest supporter. He would show up at the end of his private lessons just so Eric could show him the footwork he just learned. 

“Jackie, Jackie!” He yelled once. “I learned a spin today!” 

Connor’s eyes turned the size of saucers and his smile even wider as he yelled back, “Show me, show me, show me!” 

Eric skated forward a little and then proceeded to do an attitude spin, the leg in the attitude wobbling a little bit, but that didn’t stop the awe on Connors face. “Oh my god Dicky you’re so cool! I’ll bet you go to the Olympics someday!” 

“Oh, well...I don’t know about that!” He disagreed, but he was blushing with pride. “Hey, do you want me to teach you how to skate on one foot?” 

“Duh!” Connor exclaimed and ran over to his mother, asking if they could rent skates so he could learn. 

 

 

It was when Eric entered sixth grade that they’re relationship started to get strained. Eric’s bullying became more frequent and more intense, while Connor became more and more popular, and improved more and more at football. They didn’t see each other as often, and Eric was always too busy with homework to play outside with Connor. When seventh grade rolled around, Eric started to resent Connor. When he would have all of his friends over, laughing and horsing around, all Eric would see is the bullies that tormented him. That surrounded him and called him things that tore him apart. The worst part was that they weren’t even wrong. He wasn’t stupid, he knew that he was gay. 

That resentment soon turned to something raw the day that the bullies picked him up at the end of the day and locked him in the utility closet. He banged on the door, screaming and praying for someone to find him, but nobody came. He curled up in the closet, sobbing, the words from the bullies ringing in his head. 

_I heard you have a brother coming here soon, and that he’s a football prodigy. I guess anyone looks like a prodigy though when they grow up with you._

__

_You’re nothing but a figure skating princess, queen of the fags!_

__

_If you keep throwing your gayness in our faces, we’ll have to do something about it._

__

_Hey faggot, come with us or something bad is gonna happen._

__

_Well, if you’re going to be difficult about it…_

He closed his eyes and just cried, hoping, praying that someone would find him. 

 

It was 5am when the janitor finally noticed the boy’s locker room was ajar and that there was a hockey stick slung through the utility closet doors instead of the usual padlock. She opened up the doors and saw a 12 year old boy squished in the closet, his eyes red and face puffy. She bent down quickly and gently shook his shoulder, waking him up. 

When he opened his eyes she whispered, “Hey there, honey. What’s your name, sweetie?” 

“Eric Bittle,” He croaked, his voice very hoarse and scratchy. Once he said his name, the janitor recognized him. It was the quiet boy who always smiled at adults in the hallways and asked how they were doing. She remembered seeing him getting pushed around a little in between classes, getting a hard time from some of the boys who had just a little too much testosterone. She just wished she had said something to him, before it went this far. 

“Well,” she murmured, “Let’s go down to the office and call your mama, okay?” Eric shuffled quietly, not talking or showing any of his normal exuberance. She didn’t blame him at all. 

Once they got to the office, she picked up the phone and handed it to him, but he only dialed the number, not taking the handset. She held the phone up to her ear and said, “Hello ma’am? Am I speaking to Mrs. Bittle? This is Ms. Philips, a custodian from Eric Bittle’s middle school.”

“Yes, this is her. Have you found him, my son?” She asked, sounding like she was about to break down in tears. 

“Why yes I had, Ma’am. He was,” she cleared her throat, not sure how to say it, “He was locked inside a utility closet.” 

“Oh my goodness,” Mrs. Bittle breathed. “I’ll be there in 5 minutes. 

 

Eric was silent on the car ride home, not answering any of his mother’s questions. He only rested his head on the window and closed his eyes. Once they got home he walked inside and went right to his room. He tried to close his eyes and fall asleep but he kept waking up, gasping and crying, imagining he was back in the closet. 

Giving up, he sulked down the stairs and plopped onto the couch next to his mom and dad, who were talking quietly. 

“Dicky, we want to solve this problem and help you in every way possible, but we need you to talk to us. What happened, baby?” 

Eric sniffled for a while, gathering the energy to speak, before he squeaked out, “Some boys at school were teasing me, have been teasing me for a while now. They seemed just like regular old taunts and I didn’t say anything because I’ve been getting them for years now. But, uh, yesterday,” his voice cracked as he tried to continue and real tears started to fall out of his eyes. “Yesterday they were taunting me and I was ignoring them so, uh. So, they picked me up and put me in the utility closet in the boys locker room.” He pulled his knees up to his chest and took a bunch of deep breaths. He didn’t have the energy to fully sob. 

Suzanne pulled Eric into a tight hug while Coach stood up angrily and said, “I have to go make a call.” 

For a while, Suzanne just stroked Bitty’s back and whispered things into his head.  
“Don’t worry honey, we won’t let anything like that happen ever again.” 

Eric was not so sure they had that power though. No matter where he went in this town he was mocked because of his figure skating and his exuberant way of life. He could never escape the legacy that he had left. 

 

At dinner that same night, Connor finally made himself known to Eric. He squeezed Eric’s shoulder and said quietly, “I was so worried last night.” 

Eric forced a tight smile onto his face and responded, “Thanks Jackie, I was worried too.” 

Eric did not return to school after what had happened, he stayed home and hung out with his mom all day. No one truly addressed the incident though, they all carefully skirted around the topic. Eric assumed that he would have to fight his parents so he wouldn’t have to go back into that school. However, a full week after what happened he left his room to see if his mom would want to make a pie with him, he heard his parents in an argument. 

“Richard, I will not let Eric take one step back into that school! That wasn’t just boys being boys; that was traumatizing! He’s had nightmares all week, he barely sleeps anymore!” Suzanne yelled. 

“Suzie, I know that and I don’t want him to go back either, but he’s missed too much school and I haven’t been able to find an area that has everything we’re looking for,” Coach responded, sounding exasperated. 

_Do they not know I’m home? They’re being very loud about this_ , he thought to himself. _What do they even mean, an area that has everything they’re looking for? What are they looking for?_

“What about Madison? We can stay with your mom until we find a place, we know the school is good because of your sister’s kid, and she was just telling me about how the football coach there got redistricted because of some pay thing. Send in your application in now and we can be moved out by the end of the week. I’m serious, I will not put my baby in any more danger.”

Eric’s eyes lit up. Were they really going to move to Madison? If they moved he would finally be free of the bullies and the silent judgement and the pitiful stares. He would no longer have to look behind him while he walked around alone or lock himself in a stall so that when the bullies went on their giant rampage terrorizing kids he would be untouched. So long were the days where he lived in fear. 

He heard Coach sigh and knew that he was probably pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’ll call my mom and see what I can do.” 

Suzanne nodded firmly and said, “I’ll figure out how to tell the boys.” 

Eric bit his lip to stop his smile and waited a few seconds before strolling into the kitchen with faux nonchalance. “Hey mama, I saw some blackberries in the fridge, does that mean what I think it does?”

“Of course it does! It’s time for Chef Mama and Chef Dicky to activate their powers!” 

“I’m a little old for that,” Eric claimed, but he giggled and got out their aprons nonetheless. 

 

Eric was so excited when his parents finally announced that they were moving to Madison. He clapped his hands together and thanked his parents, hugging them both. He smiled all day long, humming happily as he was packing his clothes and belongings into boxes, he even offered to watch a football game with his dad. It was one of the best things that he thought could have happened to him- a chance to start over. 

Connor was not as happy with the move. He never said anything outright, but it was quite obvious his discomfort with the situation. Then again, Connor had friends, good memories, and activities to actually do here. He had left a mark on Atlanta and he was still in elementary school. He started to slowly act out, stomping his feet and whining when he had to do something he didn’t want to, mocking and mimicking his parents, and he refused to pack his belongings. 

“Jackie come on, the moving truck is going to be here in two days. We just have to decide what is really worth moving. I’ll do everything! Just sit on your bed and tell me yes or no when I point to things,” Eric suggested one day. 

“No, Dicky, I don’t want to,” he replied, plain and simple. 

“Please, Jackie? It’ll take two hours, one if we work quickly. We don’t want Mama to get mad either.” 

“...Will you make me a pie when we’re done?” Connor asked slyly. 

“I’ll make you two.” 

That is all it took for Connor to start nodding and shaking his head at items, though his eyes did tear up at some point. Eric didn’t dwell on it though, he assumed that it would pass soon enough. 

 

It all came to head two years later. The Bittle’s were finally settled in Madison with their new house bought and moved in to and the boys finally getting the hang of their new schools. 

Eric assumed that with Connor going to middle school, he would turn to Eric for advice and help and they would be united once more. Instead, Connor started to pull away and focus on outside relationships. He was always either telling Coach about a new friend of his or outside perfecting new football plays. Connor was growing up into the son Coach dreamed of while Eric was straying further.

While Eric was not getting bullied anymore, he certainly didn’t have any friends. They moved right in the middle of the school year, meaning all of the cliques had been established already. Plus, who wants to hang out with the wimpy kid who oozes homosexuality and is constantly looking over his shoulder in fear?

They barely talked anymore, sometimes Eric would stop in his room and they would chat for a couple minutes, but it always made Eric feel sad to see Connor turn into the person he was supposed to be. 

“Jackie, come to the store with me, I don’t want to go alone!” He called up the stairs on one Saturday afternoon. That happened a lot recently, Eric would need to get something from the corner store at the end of the street and would make Connor come with him. He wasn’t ready to go places alone, not even after a year. 

“Ugh, why can’t you go by yourself? I’m doing stuff!” Connor called back down, obviously not making any sort of movement. 

“Because you’re my younger brother so you have to do what I say…and I don’t feel comfortable going by myself.” He walked up the stairs and stood in Connor’s doorway. He was sitting on his computer playing video games. 

“You aren’t even doing anything important! Come on, we never hang out anymore,” Eric pleaded. Connor just ignored him and continued to play. 

He walked over to Connor’s chair and pulled it out saying, “Let’s. Go.” 

Connor jumped up and yelled, “God, Eric, just get out, I don’t want to hang out with you! Can I have two second without you breathing down my neck and being around me? Can you just let me do something alone!?” 

Eric was taken aback. Not only was it odd that Connor was yelling-he was usually a quiet, passive kid- but it was very odd that he would be yelling at Eric. They had always been on one side, taking on the world together. They had been a little more tense than normal, but he assumed that it was just because they were still adjusting to the move; he never thought that Connor was upset with _him_. 

Eric sat down on the bed and said gently, “What’s going on? Is something happening at school?”

“No, nothing’s happening at school, okay? I actually have friends, unlike you!” 

Eric shifted, but shook off the insult. Obviously he was hurting. “Then what’s the problem?” 

“My problem is you! It’s your fault we have to move, it’s your fault that I had to leave all my friends and start on a whole new football team! I had to start a whole new life!” 

Eric was taken aback. How could Connor blame him for the move? Did he seriously think this was all Eric’s fault? 

He took a deep breath and counted to 10. He didn’t want to yell at Connor and make this worse. “Ok then. I’m just going to pretend you didn’t blame me for getting bullied so hard that I had to move, leaving me with no hobbies, no friends, and let’s not forget, PTSD. I’m going to pretend you understand how traumatizing Atlanta was for me and that you just miss some of your friends at home. And when you’re ready to let me actually believe those things and not pretend, that’s when we’ll talk again.”

But that day never came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all for now, folks! Kudos and comment below if you liked :) Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bitty is in high school now, with Connor joining him. We get a glimpse of Bitty's early hockey years, what both brothers were like in high school, plus the early years of college.

**2010-2014 ******

********

High school wasn’t any better for Eric and Connor. They never spoke anymore, unless they were relaying messages from parents to each other, or Connor needed a ride and Eric was the only available option. 

Eric felt like an only child sometimes, like Connor was a weird roommate who showed up at dinner and talked to his parents occasionally. Well, he talked to his dad a lot. Connor really was a fantastic football player, bypassing the freshman team and joining JV as soon as tryouts began. Seeing his dad be so proud of Connor, filled him with jealousy. 

_Just because I bake pies and vlog about it means I don’t ever get to make my father smile? I don’t get to ever make him proud? Sports and sports only will please him?_

It was those thoughts that motivated him to join his district-wide hockey team. Since there were not enough people in the school who wanted to join the team, all of the schools in the district joined together to make one team. 

Though he already knew how to skate, hockey skates were a little different that figure skates, and it took some time to adjust. Once he did adjust though, hockey practice was the best parts of his week. He could get out of his own head for an hour and a half, 5 days a week, just focusing on him and the puck. 

He quickly became the most essential player on the team, his speed from figure skating pushing him past any defenseman who try to stop him from scoring. When he earned captaincy his junior year, he thought his dad would be ecstatic, and finally, finally proud of him. He was jumpy the whole car ride home, only containing himself so he wouldn’t hit anyone else. 

“Coach! They gave me the C! I’m gonna be a captain!” He yelled, running into the house to find his father. He did find his father, with Connor sitting in the den, watching old football games. They both looked up to see a beaming Eric. 

“That’s great, Dicky! You worked hard for it,” Coach responded, a hint of a smile on his face. Connor’s face was passive, showing nothing. 

“Thanks,” Eric said back, “I mean, it’ll looked great on college apps. Maybe I’ll even get to play hockey there too.” Connor’s eyebrows shot up at that, and he looked almost…happy. 

“Well, Dicky, you’re captaining a no-contact hockey team in Georgia. Don’t get crazy,” Coach replied, any semblance of a smile gone. Eric collapsed, all of his happiness ripped from his body. No matter what he does, he can’t be good enough for his father. He played one season of hockey and was awarded something that usually only seniors who have been playing their whole life get. Meanwhile, Connor rides the bench for the entirety of the football season, but since he got onto JV he is the greatest player in the whole damn state. 

Speaking of Connor though, when Eric looks at what his reaction is, he sees that his passive face was disrupted with furrowed eyebrows and a scowl. “Congrats, Dicky,” he said, finally making eye contact. “You deserve it.” Then he tilted his head toward Coach and rolled his eyes a little, silently saying, “Don’t worry, he’s annoying.” The last time either of them did that to each other, did anything resembling that, was 4 years ago. 

After that, Connor and Eric still didn’t talk, but Eric thought he saw him at a lot of his hockey games, more than his parents went to anyway. Connor never spoke about it though, and he could never find him after the games, so Eric figured that there was just another kid at school who resembled him. 

//// 

One day, when Eric was a junior and Connor was a freshman, he saw Connor chatting up another freshman girl by her locker. They were both smiling, and then Connor pulled out his phone, typing something into it. Eric felt a little proud of his little brother, for getting this girl’s number, before he walked past them and heard his brother say, “Thanks for the info, I’m really excited to look into it.” 

_Info? On what?_

From then on, Eric saw Connor hanging out with that girl and a group of other kids, some he recognized from gym class and other mixed-grade classes. He knew a couple were in the play or did stage crew, but that’s the only thing the kids all had in common. 

_Jackie probably just has a bunch of classes with them, whatever._

Curiosity finally got the better of him one day though, and he walked over to his brother, hoping he would get introduced if he made the first move. 

“Hey Jackie, do you need a ride home today after school today?” He started the conversation. 

“Actually yes please, my after school thing got cancelled today. Thank you,” Connor replied. 

Eric saw one kid behind him mime being a robot and he tried not to wince. It wasn’t lost on him how stiff and robotic his brother sounded when he talked to him. 

“Okay, either meet me at my locker at 2:30 or just come to the car,” he responded. Eric waited a moment, wanting to see if Connor would introduce him to his new friends, but all he got was an awkward staring contest. “Ok...see you later.” 

As he was walking away he heard one of the kids say, “That’s your brother? Wow, he doesn’t sound at all like you described him,” but he was walking too fast to hear what Connor said back. 

In the car ride home that day, Eric finally broke the silence by asking, “So who were those kids you were talking to when I came up today? They don’t really look like the football type.” 

“Oh, um, just some new friends. A couple of the girls do golf in the spring and one of the guys does soccer, so they’re not total duds,” he replied back, almost defensively. 

“I wasn’t implying that they were duds because they didn’t do sports,” Eric justified. “I just meant that you don’t usually hang out with kids who aren’t on the football team.” He pulled up in front of the house. 

“Whatever, Dicky. It isn’t any of your business who I hang out with anyway,” Connor retorted, before getting out of the car and slamming the door. 

Eric sighed. It was like no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t win with his brother.

 ////

Getting the letter from Samwell telling him that he not only got accepted into the school but he got a hockey scholarship was like being handed a first-class ticket to freedom. 

He remembered the day he came across Samwell university. It was at 3 O’clock in the morning, the August going into his senior year. He was tired of searching “Georgian Colleges” and “Colleges in the South”, where he wouldn’t get to play hockey, and he wouldn’t get to be himself. In a vain attempt to feel better about himself, he typed into Google, “Colleges that are LGBTQ+ friendly.” 

Samwell was the first college to pop up. He kept seeing “1 in 4 maybe more” in all of the chat rooms, which just made him laugh. Then he saw that they had a hockey team and a hockey scholarship. It seemed almost like a dream come true. 

Then he saw what was going to make getting his parents on board so hard. “Samwell University in Boston, Massachusetts.” It was more than 1,000 miles away from his house. His parents would never let him go. 

But they were on board with it though, or at least were on board with how much of the tuition the scholarship payed for. Without it, he certainly would have been going to Georgia Tech. 

On the day that he started the 16 hour drive to Samwell, he found out neither his dad nor his brother would be joining him. 

“Jackie would have to miss football practice to make the drive, and I can’t leave him alone in the house so… send us pictures of your dorm,” Coach tried to smile. All Eric could see was the fact that his dad chose 1 day of practice over helping his eldest son move into college. Suddenly, Eric couldn’t wait to get to Samwell. 

Once he arrived at Samwell though, he was a little intimidated. The campus was huge, the size of Madison, Georgia itself. His mother had the same thought. 

“Well, this certainly is bigger than lil’ ol’ Madison County High, but I’m sure you’ll have fun.” 

By the time they moved all of the stuff into his dorm, with the help of some very nice football players, he and his mother had a very tearful and long goodbye. 

“Don’t forget to call me once a week to tell me everything that happens, okay? And be careful with that hockey team, I’m sure they’re all very big and it’s not no-check over here.” 

“I know, Mama, and I’ll be real careful, don’t worry. You don’t forget to update our Pinterest and make me jealous of all the good stuff you’re eating while I’m stuck with our dining hall.” 

She laughed and they hugged for a very long time before she finally got back into the car and drove back home, this time without anyone in the passenger seat. 

////

Bitty was doing fine with the hockey team, as exuberant as they were. They looked out for him, treated him like family. 

Except for Jack. 

Bitty didn’t know what he did exactly to so greatly offend his captain, but no matter what he did it seemed that Jack wanted the opposite. 

There was one day in the fall semester, where Bitty finally felt comfortable to really start cooking and baking in the Haus kitchen, when Shitty and Jack come bursting through the door. 

He had just started rolling out his dough, when he heard Shitty yelling. 

“Jackie, you magnificent man! Oh, I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” 

Bitty freezes in his tracks, hearing that nickname. 

“Bits! Do you want to hear what Jackie here just told me?” Bitty just turns slowly, wiping his hands on a nearby towel. He forced a smile onto his face before he said, “Oh, uh, actually I just remembered that I have an appointment that I’m going to be late to.” He knew he was being rude, but he ran out of the Haus with speed he usually only uses on the ice. 

He doesn’t stop until he’s at the end of the block, dropping to the ground and taking some deep breaths. He would have been fine if that had happened on any other day. But of course it happened on the day he just called up his mother. 

“Hey Mama!” He had said cheerfully into the phone. “Is Coach there too? I have some real exciting news!” 

“Oh well, let me go get him right now then!” Suzanne exclaimed, leaving the phone on dead air for a moment. “I’m sorry baby, but he and Jackie are watching a game right now and you know them, can’t get ‘em to look away from the screen for a second. Plus, Jackie just scored his first touchdown of the season last night so we’re letting him celebrate however he wants tonight. But what was your news?”

“Oh! Um, well, Coach let me play one shift on first line last night and then I got an assist! My first one at a division 1 school!” He tried to sound excited, but once again Coach had chosen Connor over him and this time he really wanted to make his dad proud of him. 

“Well that is just so darn exciting! My baby, scoring against those big ol’ college goalies. I’ll pass the message on to your father tonight. It’s almost time for dinner though, so I have to go. I love you, Dicky.” 

“I love you too, Mama,” He said back, before hanging up the phone in a defeat. All he had gotten from his father a couple minutes later was a text that said _Your mama told me what happened. Good for you son._

He hated comparing himself to his brother, but his parents just made it so easy for him. Why does Connor get a whole day dedicated to him for scoring another touchdown, but he barely gets a congrats for helping score against a Division I school as a freshman? 

He was broken out of his thoughts by someone approaching him. He looked up to see Jack walking toward him. 

_Great, just the man I wanted to see._

“Shitty said the last time you got all flustered and ran away from us was when you came out to him, so he was freaking out thinking he offended you somehow,” was all he said before he plopped down next to Eric. 

Eric huffed a laugh and shook his head, “He didn’t offend me at all. I’m just having some family problems and something he said just kind of reminded of that.”

Jack raised an eyebrow. “Which part? I can’t believe you just said that or want to know what ‘Jackie here’ just told me.”

Eric was quiet for a long moment. “So, uh, I have a younger brother named Connor Jackson. We’re not very close. At all. He’s three years younger than me and he’s everything my parents want in a child. Their perfect southern baby. He’s a god at football, incredibly popular, and he’s been dating this cheerleader for like a year. My mom is planning their wedding already. And uh, well obviously I’m not their perfect southern baby, all gay and baking and figure skating, so he’s their favorite. And today they really just favored him a lot when I was really excited to tell them about my assist and it just sucked.” He stopped talking and Jack moved a little closer. 

“It sounds like your parents don’t understand how great you are. I mean, first line hockey as a freshman? When you didn’t start playing hockey until you were a sophomore? You might as well be a hockey miracle. And I’m sorry they don’t appreciate that, but your team surely does.” He pauses. “If you don’t mind me asking though, how does what Shitty said play into all of this?”

“Oh,” Eric laughed again. “Well, it seems silly now, but down South you refer to people by their middle names so by tragedy I get called Dicky by everyone, and Connor Jackson is called Jackie. And hearing Shitty call you that, well it was just too much of my brother today.” Eric looked over at Jack. “Thank you Jack. For listening, I’m sure you had better things to do today then listen to me ramble about my problematic family. And thanks for saying all that nice stuff.”

Jack stood up, Eric following suit. He clapped Bitty on the back, saying, “You deserved to hear it. Everything I said was true too.” 

They both pause for a moment, just smiling at each other. Then they both make their way to the Haus, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE!! I had the bUSIEST week of my life and then this weekend was Easter weekend so it was even busier. Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Next up: Feels, feels, and even more feels. Stay tuned!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eric and Connor finally talk to each other after almost a decade of being weird and awkward. Shit. Goes. Down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!!!! I've had so so so much on my plate lately and I just did not have enough time to sit down and add all the stuff AO3 makes you add for your story to look normal on here. Thanks so much for all of your patience and I hope you guys enjoy it!

**2015-2017**

Eric was bustling around his house on July 3rd, trying to make everything perfect for Jack, when Connor stopped him in the hallway. 

“Dude I know you haven’t had a friend come over to the house like, ever, but you’re jumping out of your skin for no reason. I’m sure whatever you do will be fine,” he said. 

Eric sighed, “It’s just…really important that everything goes right for him. He, uh, he’s my best friend. Plus, his dad is one of the biggest names in the NHL and his mom is an EGOT winner. He’s used to a way different standard of living.” 

Connor stared at him for a moment too long before asking, “What the fuck is an EGOT?” 

Eric could only make an exasperated face before his mother yelled up, “I hope I did not hear what I think I did! We are about to have a guest over, none of that language!” 

They both laughed at her and Eric almost forgot that he was with his brother and not Ransom or Holster for a moment. “He lived in a frat house for three years and his best friend’s name is Shitty, I think he’ll live.” Then he remembered who he was talking to and started to walk down the hall again. Before he could turn and disappear though his brother called out, “Hey Dicky! He lived in a frat house for three years and his best friend’s name is Shitty, so whatever our house looks like, I’m sure he’ll live.” 

Eric just threw a half smile over his shoulder before continuing to walk, very confused. 

_Did we just have a normal conversation? Is that what he’s like with his friends? What’s happening?_

When Jack did arrive, Connor was very quiet and reserved. He shook his hand and introduced himself, but that was almost the only thing he said. At dinner, he only spoke when he was spoken to. He set the table and cleaned the dishes too, saying to Jack and Eric, “Y’all should go catch up with each other. It’s been like 2 months since you’ve seen each other. Plus, I think Dicky has done the dishes for me whenever I have my friends over for dinner so…” 

The two of them just smiled at each other and went into the den to watch a movie. When they heard the sink finally turn off and Connor go upstairs, Bitty was instantly at Jack’s side. “Hi,” was the only thing he could get out before Jack pressed their lips together. Eric smiled into the kiss and put his arms around Jack. “I must say,” he giggled, “Kiss number four definitely lived up to the expectations after those first three.” 

Jack smiled down at Eric. “Well, I’m glad. I’m trying to make up for the fact you lived right across the hall from me for a whole year and I kissed you on the day I moved out.” 

Eric snuggled into Jack and sighed, “Everything happens for a reason, sweetpea. And I like the way our first kiss happened. It makes for a fantastic story. But if you want to keep on kissing me to make up for lost time then I really wouldn’t stop you.” 

They didn’t spend much time talking after that. 

////

All day on the fourth, Connor kept staring at the two of them, almost confused. Eric ignored it, thinking he was just seeing things, but finally after all of their family showed up and Connor passed on playing football to sit down and continue to look weirdly in Jack’s direction, Eric snapped. 

“Do you have a problem with Jack? You’ve been staring at him all day. You were perfectly civil yesterday, what’s the problem today?”

“What are you talking about? Am I staring at him? I don’t mean to,” Connor claimed, putting his hands up in mock-surrender. 

“Mhm… sure,” was all Eric said before he walked away, eyes narrowed. 

The first time Connor really spoke to Jack was when Eric was getting things ready for his and Jack’s lone viewing of the fireworks. 

“So, you met Dicky when he was a freshman? You were his captain?” He asked Jack. 

“Um… yes?” Jack answered back. 

“So you looked out for him, right? Made sure he was safe and everything?”

“Well, the first year it was kind of rocky, but yeah I did my best to make sure he was always okay.”

“But… you’ll be in Providence now. He’s still in good hands?” Connor shifted, crossing his hands across his chest. 

“I don’t think anyone will take better care of him than his team at Samwell. Uh, except you guys of course,” he backtracked. 

“Nah, it’s okay. Georgia wasn’t real nice to Dicky, he needs people out North to take care of him.” They were both silent for a second. “You care a whole lot about my brother, huh?” Jack nodded. “All right then, just make sure he comes home with all of his limbs each summer.” Jack was pretty sure he puffed his chest out a little too, as if threatening Jack. 

“I’ll try my best.” Connor nodded, as if satisfied with that, then walked away, settling on the ground with his cousins.  
“Ready to go?” Eric asked Jack, appearing at his shoulder. “Are you okay? You look weird.” 

Jack shook his head and smiled at Eric, “Nope, I’m super ready.” 

Maybe he would keep that between him and Connor for just a little bit. 

 ////

When Eric first met Connor Whisk, he reminded him of Jack. All focused and passionate about hockey, fantastic at the game, and really keeping to himself. As he continued to know Whiskey though, he realized that he was more similar to another guy named Connor, though this one didn’t play hockey. 

The main thing the two had in common was their distaste for one Eric Bittle. It seemed that no matter what Bitty did, Whiskey hated him. He tried to give him distance, but his mother hen instincts sometimes went on autopilot and he coddled him without trying. He didn’t see the problem with that though, all the other members of the team okay with it. 

_It seems that I just can’t win with Connors,_ he thought ruefully once. 

//// 

Everything came to a head with his brother one weekend in January. Eric was relishing in the fact that he had no classes on Fridays that semester by spending a long weekend with Jack at his apartment. 

He had turned his phone off all day so that they could spend time together uninterrupted. Eric got a huge surprise when he finally turned it back on though. He expected a large amount of notifications, but not 4 missed calls from Lardo, Ransom, and Holster each and 20 texts from Connor. He didn’t even bother to read the texts from Connor, he just called back Lardo. 

“Thank fucking God, Bitty where the fuck were you all day?” She yelled into the phone after the first ring. 

“I turned my phone off to hang out with Jack, but oh my lord who died? What’s wrong?” 

“Well, there’s a kid here…and he claims to be your brother. But you don’t have a brother, do you? You’ve literally never mentioned him before.” 

Eric almost dropped his phone. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Presumably, Connor either flew or drove or took a bus to Samwell and was waiting at Eric’s house for him. He could barely breathe right now. 

“I’m on my way to Samwell right now,” was all he said before he hung up. He could hear Lardo’s protests before he hung up, but he barely registered them. “Connor is at Samwell,” He explained to Jack in a daze as he pulled on his sneakers and left the room to grab Jack’s keys from his hook. That was all Jack needed to hear apparently though, before he sprung into action, grabbing Eric’s overnight bag, shoes, and locking the door behind Eric. 

“Let me drive, bud,” He said to Eric, taking the keys out of his hand. “You don’t seem like you’re in the headspace to right now.” 

The car ride was completely silent, except for Eric saying, once, “I’m…what?” 

When they finally got to Samwell, Eric barely let the car stop moving before he jumped out and marched into the Haus. 

Ransom and Holster jumped off the couch when he walked through the door. “Where?” was all he asked. 

“Lardo’s room,” they said in unison. 

He walked calmly into Lardo’s room, not even stunned to see Lardo sitting up straight on the edge of her bed with Connor sitting on her desk chair. He looked at Connor, fished out his room key, handed it to him and said, “Across the hall. Give me a second.” 

Connor nodded silently and did as Eric told him. 

“Did he say anything?” He asked Lardo.

“All he said was ‘I’m Eric’s brother. Is he home?” 

Eric nodded and said, “I’ll explain it all later,” while he walked out of the door. 

He entered his room to see both Jack and Connor to both be in his room, both looking oddly out of place standing next to each other. He turned to Jack, “Thanks for everything, hun, but I need to do this alone.” 

Jack nodded and squeezed Eric’s shoulder before walking out of the room. 

Eric sat down on his bed silently for a long time. Connor joined him. Everytime he tried to talk to him though, Eric silenced him with a look. 

Finally, “Okay, I’ve processed this. What the fuck is happening? Does Mama know you’re here? Why are you here? How did you get here? Just-what?”

“Okay, so, yes Mama knows I’m here, I got here because I got a job last year, but I don’t go anywhere so I had a lot of money saved up for a plane ticket and Uber, and I got into a very large fight with Mom and Dad so I said that I would visit you while they got their shit together.”

“Get their shit together? Jackie what is happening. Tell me in details.”

Connor took a deep breath. “So, growing up, I always knew you had a harder life than me. I didn’t always know why, but I did know that I had it a little easier than you. I used to not care, you were just my big brother who played football in the backyard with me and taught me figure skating tricks after his lessons. Then, we had to move and you were asking me to do everything with you, and it got on my nerves. We turned our whole lives around for you, but I’m inconveniencing you because I don’t want to go 7/11 with you? 

“I don’t know if you remember this, but there was this one time, after the…closet incident. You wanted to go to the corner store to get like butter or something, and I really didn’t want to. You came up to my room and like pulled off my headphones though, and you were real pissed. I remember snapping at you, yelling about how I didn’t want to always hang out with you, and that I hated going to the same school as you, and like you made us move so like back up basically. And then you went off on me, telling me about what happened at that old school. Then you just walked out.” He stopped talking for a moment. 

“I think about that day all the time,” Eric said, breaking the silence. “That was the day we really stopped being friends. 

Connor nodded softly. “Well that was also the day that I made a promise with myself. If you were having such a hard time at school, and you were struggling so much there, that I told myself I would do everything in my power to make being at home easy. I turned myself into the son Dad always wanted, dating cheerleaders, practicing football every waking moment to make sure I got a starting position, being the typical Georgia boy. That way, you could be yourself, and our parents wouldn’t have to regret anything. Not that they would regret having you, but you know what I mean. 

“So, I did all of these things, and well, I tried to stay out of your way because as much as I was doing this for you, I’m sure you didn’t need that constant reminder of everything you’re not. Like, Dad just refused to understand that all of your sports accomplishments were really important, because it was ice hockey, not football. 

“But, I also didn’t want to regret my entire high school career because I wanted to make my brother feel less stressed, so I looked into some other clubs. That’s when I found out about the play. I told Mom and Dad that they needed football players who could move sets, but really I was Link in Hairspray, Jesus in Godspell, Curly in Oklahoma, and Danny in Grease. I thought that if I didn’t tell them it would be fine, I would still be their rough and tough football playing son. But then you got a scholarship to a Division I hockey team, you played on the starting lineup almost every game this season and last, and Dad talks about how you’re a shoe-in for captain next year to every person in a 5-mile radius. I thought that maybe it would be okay if I finally told them about the musical. It’s my senior year, you know? Everyone else has their parents saving rows and rows of seats for them, and I just wanted that for my last run. 

“When I told them though, they were just confused. They said that that’s not like me and that I should know what type of boys do musicals, do I want to present myself as that way? So I yelled back that maybe I do, maybe…maybe I like guys just as much as I like girls.” 

Eric looked up at Connor in shock. “Say that again?”

“I’m bisexual. And, well, I knew that you would be okay with it because I overheard you and Jack talking over the summer one night so I know y’all are together. I wasn’t gonna act on it, it was part of the promise I made myself when I said I would protect you. You don’t have the option of dating girls, so I might as well carry on the Bittle genes. But then I met Mason. 

“He was just perfect, y’know? He was in the choir and band, and he was in all of the plays with me too. At first, we were just best friends, we would do almost everything together. I never brought him home though because I thought Mom and Dad might get suspicious if I bring home someone who I would have no reason to have any classes with. I realized that I had some feelings for him, right around the one year mark with Charlotte. And I knew that he had feelings for me too, because he was always a little too tactile whenever we were together, and he would get a little jealous whenever I would hang out with Lottie. So one day, I kissed him. And it felt so much better than any other kiss I had had so I knew that I couldn’t cast him away.” He paused and took a shaky breath. 

“I didn’t mean to tell Mom and Dad, it just slipped out. Mama immediately burst into tears, crying, ‘not both of my babies,’ and dad was just stone-cold silent. Then I yelled at them and asked them to say something else to me and Mama just said that they would figure this out and I said there was nothing to figure out and then everything just blew up so I said that I was going to stay with you until they stopped being rude. I think that they will be fine though, that they just need some time.” Then he stopped talking. Both of them were silent for a very long time. He could hear the boys and Lardo downstairs, roughhousing, Jack trying to be the voice of reason before he just gave up and joined the madness. Then finally Eric moved over and hugged Connor. 

“Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry you hid the things that you loved from your parents for me. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful, that was so sweet of you, but. You’re my baby brother. I’m supposed to protect you. I spent my whole life hating on you when you were just there for me the whole time. Thank you.” He wasn’t sure if he was making any sense but he was so startled from what he just heard. Connor just hugged him back tightly. 

Finally, the two pulled away from each other and they laughed. “Well look at the two of us,” Eric said. “Two gay boys who survived Georgia.” 

Connor sighed, “I don’t know if I’ve survived it just yet.”

Eric threw an arm and around his shoulder. “Well now it’s my turn to help you.” 

//// 

In the end, they helped each other. Eric flew back to Georgia with Connor and talked to their parents together. 

“I’m not sure what went through your heads when you reacted to Jackie’s news, but that was just unacceptable. Why does it matter if he likes boys and girls or if he sings up on a stage once a year. He’s _happy._ Don’t you want your baby to be happy? Plus, he is still the same person he’s always been. The fact that you would shun him just because of an afterschool club or the person he is seeing is shameful, just shameful.”

Suzanne and Coach just sat there, stunned. Eric had never spoken to them like that before. Then Suzanne spoke up. “I just don’t get it. You don’t act like you’re…that way. I mean, you’re on the football team for goodness sake!”

“You’re telling me, that you think in the almost 100 years that they NFL has been around, not to mention just the sport itself being around, there has been not one gay player? They all bake or figure skate or act?” 

“Don’t speak to your mother like that Dicky.” 

“Don’t treat your son like that over something so trivial!” 

“Ok, I will admit that we didn’t handle the news as well as we would have liked to. But you have to understand that we were surprised! That day, you seemed like almost an entirely new person, Jackie!”

“Because I was showing you the real me, Mama,” Connor finally spoke up. “I love football, I really do. But, acting unlocked something in me that I didn’t know I had. When I’m on the stage, I feel like I can finally breathe, like I’m really alive.”

“Well, we would never turn you away from something-or someone- you love,” Coach interjected for the first time that night. “That goes for both of you,” he looked at Eric as he said it. 

For the rest of the night, the entire Bittle family sat together and just enjoyed each other’s company, for the first time in 9 years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY FUCK that was so cathartic and amazing and satisfying to write but also so emotionally taxing. I've had that scene planned out for so long it was so nice to finally get it out of my head and into something coherent. I'm real happy with how it finally turned out though!
> 
>  
> 
> The last chapter is a super short epilogue that I'll try to have up as soon as possible :) Thanks for reading!


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is well with the Bittle Bros.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for waiting again!! Summer is finally here which meant I finally was able to sit down and do all the stupid things that make this look good when you read it. Enjoy this super short epilogue!!

**2022**

“Dicky!” was the first thing Eric heard over the phone when he picked it up. He winced. 

“Can we please stop with that nickname? I’m getting married tomorrow,” he lamented. 

“Come on, but Bitty is any better? I’ve been calling you that for 25 years!” His younger brother reasoned. 

“Yes, and I have hated it for 25 years! Whatever, what did you call to tell me?”

“So…last night Logan and I were out for dinner, and we were taking in the beautiful sights of Montreal…and Logan asked me to marry him!” He then heard a text message come in, checking it to see a picture of the ring. 

“That’s so great Jackie! I’m so happy for you.” Then something dawned on him. “Oh, but you better not be wearing that ring to the ceremony tomorrow. I can’t have my best man stealing my thunder on my wedding day!”

Connor laughed, “Ok ok, but once you’re on your honeymoon, the news is fair game.” 

“Fine, I’ll allow it,” Eric smiled. “Ah, this is so exciting! My baby brother is getting married!”

“What about my brother? He’s getting married too! To an NHL star nonetheless.” 

“Look at us, all grown up, starting families and everything.”

“We’ve really come a long way.”

“Yes. Yes we have.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it!! Thank you all so much for your super nice comments and kudos; I seriously appreciate it. I'm just so happy to have this posted as it has just been a small idea in my head for such a long time. I hope you guys liked it!


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